Shock-absorber.



P. L. ROOKLEDGB.

I SHOCK ABSORBER. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10,1911.

PatentedJan. 12, 1915.

In W: n for P t/"c I'm/LR ook led THE NORRIS PETERS c0, PHDTCPLITHQ, WASHING TON. D C

PERCIVAL L. ROOKLEDG-E, OF OAMBRIA, CALIFORNIA.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of L'etterslatent. Patented 3,11, 12,1915.

Application filed. July 10, 1911. Serial No. 637,738. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEROIVAL L. ROOK- Lnoen, a citizen of theUnit'ed States, residing at Cambria, in the county of San Luis Obispo and State of California, have invented a new and useful Shock-Absorber, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a superior shock absorber of cheap and simple construction that will prevent the rebound of the bodies of vehicles to which it is applied.

The invention is adaptable to any vehicle, but more particularly to automobiles, and an object of the invention is to devise a shock absorber that can be installed by using as a part thereof the different kinds of vehicle springs that are now used.

Stated generally the invention involves the use of a compression member and a tension member arranged in the same relation and intended to perform some of the same functions as the upper and lower chord members of a truss such as is employed as a supporting member in a building or other structure.

More specifically, the invention comprises a compression member in the form of a spring and a tension member in the form of a substantially non-expansible stay or cable, said members being arranged in such mannor that the rebound or expansion of the compression member after its compression by a shock, transmitted to it through the vehicle wheel or through the vehicle body, will cause the tension member to come into action to prevent undue distortion of the compression member and rebounding of the vehicle body.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention constructed with a full elliptic spring as a part thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the invention as applied with a halfelliptic spring as a part thereof.' Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 00 of Fig. 1, showing one of the blocks in place on the spring. Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section showing one of the stay-adjusting means. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of one of the links, taken on line m of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail of another form of the stay adjusting means.

The form shown in Fig. 1 employs an upper truss comprising an upper springv compression member and an upper tension member and employs a lower truss comprising a lower compression member and a lower tension member; and the form shown in Fig. 2 also employs a truss comprising a compression member and a tension member. I

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings said upper spring compression member 1 is an ordinary semi-elliptic or how spring and is connected to the lower spring compression member 2 of like bow form by. the shackles 3.

The substantially n'on-expansible tension chord members, stays or cables 5 forming said tension members which are preferably of wire rope and can be of any suitable material, respectively extend longitudinally over the upper spring compression member 1, and under the lower spring compression member 2, and are shown pivotally connected to their respective springs by the links 6, 6. The stays are fastened'to the springs at the ends thereof, that is to say, on opposite sides ofthe middle at such points as may be deemed advisable in applying the invention to different springs.

The links may be held in place on the springs by any suitable means as by bolts 7 in slight crooks provided therefor in the spring limbs, or by bolts 4 in the spring ends; and the ends of the stays may be fastened to the links in any suitable manner.

In the drawings the links that connect the stays of the lower semi-elliptic springs. 2

are connected to the ends of the springs by the eyebolts 6 that are fastened on the pin or bolt 4: which connects the shackles and the springs together or connects the spring and the chassis together. Said eyebolts are passed through a bar 4 ably secured thereon'by nuts a.

The stays are bent around the cross bars 4 and thereby fastened thereto.

By adjusting the nuts (1 the stays are lengthened or shortened as desired.

Supporting blocks 8 fastened to i the springs by'the clips 9 are provided to sup port the stays and space the same apart from the outer side of the springs.

The stays are herein shown to extend over the chassis 10 and under the axle 11 and are provided with adjusting means as the bolts 6 or the turn-buckles 12 which provide means for tightening the stays to limit the that is adjustrebound of the springs. Bolting plates 13 fasten the springs to and between the chassis and the axle.

In Fig. 2 the invention is constructed with a half-elliptic spring as a part thereof and one end of the spring is connected to the end of the chassis 10 by bolts 4i and 6 and the bar 4: and the other end is connected to the link 3; said link extending to the chassis where it is pivotally fastened; otherwise the arrangement of parts is practically the same as that of the lower spring member of Fig. 1 as hereinbefore described.

In practical use as the springs are compressed, either by the axle, moving toward the chassis or vice versa, or by movement of both axle and chassis toward each other the stays remain slack and out of action; and when the springs rebound from compression and any force tends to carry them beyond normal position, the stays acting on the blocks check the rebound of the spring members and prevent the shock of rebound being imparted to the vehicle.

The construction shown thus produces a trussed spring in which the trussing member is substantially non-expansible and noncompressible and is in tension when the spring rebounds.

With particular reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the center of the springs where they are fastened to the chassis and the axle, are inside the arc of the stays and when the spring is compressed the stay is slackened and will have no effect on the spring; but on the rebound after the spring has gained its normal position as before compression, and the force is still carrying it upward or downward as the case may be, the stays will check further rebounding progress in accordance with the adjustment of the stays by the adjusting means.

Since the stay is fastened to the ends of the spring, such ends are positively stopped against upward movement when the stay is drawn taut againstthe blocks, unless the upward pull of the vehicle body is suiiicient to cause the pressure on the blocks 8, 8 to bendthe springs upward between their ends; the thrust thus being applied to a stifler part of the spring is met with a firmer resistance at the close of the upward movement of the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the vehicle body in Fig. 2 and in the lower part of Fig. 1. It will be seen that the upper part of the spring shown in Fig. 1 will also operate in the manner described.

I claim 1. The combination with a bow spring of a stay adjacent the outer side of said spring; the stay being fastened to the spring at its ends and stay supports between the spring and the stay to tighten the stay at the rebound of the spring.

2. In a shock absorber the combination with a bow spring, of a stay adjacent the outside of said spring and fastened to the spring at its ends, and means between the spring and the stay at the middle and between the middle and the ends of the stay to tighten the stay.

8. In a shock absorber the combination with a bow spring; of a stay adjacent the outside of said spring and fastened to the spring at its ends, supports between the spring and the stay at the middle and adjacent the ends of the spring; and means for adjusting the length of the stay.

l. The combination with a curved leaf spring, of a tension member on the convex side of said spring and fastened to the ends thereof.

5. The combination with a curved leaf spring, of a tension member on the convex side of the spring and adjustably fastened to the ends thereof.

6. The combination with a curved leaf spring, of a substantially non-expansible tension member on the convexside of the spring and fastened to the ends thereof.

7. The combination with leaf springs forming a full elliptic spring, of tension members on the convex sides of the springs and fastenedto the ends of said springs.

8. The combination with a leaf spring, of a flexible non-expansible tension member along one side of said spring and fastened to the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Cambria, California, this first day of July 1911.

PERCIVAL L. ROOKLEDGE.

In presence of C. F. MAYFIELD, J. H. BnADHorr.

Commissioner of Iatents.

Washington, D. G. 

